Knives Out (2019) film review

Year: 2019
Running Time: 130 minutes
Director/Writer: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, LaKeith Stanfield, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome.

Knives Out is now showing in cinemas everywhere thanks to Studiocanal.

Rian Johnson's murderous affair, Knives Out is a return to the glory days of the whodunnit. With it's atmosphere of dread and intrigue combined with a spectacular cast who all deliver captivating performances, Knives Out is a reminder of how much fun cinema can really be when everything comes together with perfect timing.

Knives Out feels like Johnson's tribute to Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories. In particular, the film follows the formula of Murder on The Orient Express with it's grand cast and their intriguing and colourful characters, each with a motive for committing the cruellest of crimes. The location here, which is incredibly important in such a story as it needs to have just as much character as the humans, is the exquisite, atmospheric and often quirky Massachusetts manor of bestselling author, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). After his untimely death following his 85th birthday party, private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is called in to investigate his death. Even though the easiest conclusion to make about the cause of death is to rule suicide, Blanc believes that one of the family members has something to hide and that Thrombey's death is the result of creative foul play.

The film is a rare type of multi-layered mystery. It plays very much on the idea of things aren't always as they seem and even when you know that things aren't as they seem, how they aren't still remains a mystery. There is a certain level of predictability to Knives Out, but at the same time, it manages to be unpredictable from another angle.

However, it is Johnson's storytelling that is the keeps the film flowing and intrigue high despite whether it is predictable or not. The screenplay is airtight with extremely witty and entertaining dialogue. This characters are all unique and, despite the astounding situation, are relatable as far as personalities in big families go. No family gathering involving money and alcohol is ever a quiet event when there are clashing personalities the way there are in Knives Out. There is no doubt that in the film that Harlan's nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas) is perhaps the purest of souls and has the bad luck of being involved in situations beyond her control. The other characters have large personalities and have all been tainted by Harlan's money, which in turn has made them all dependant, greedy and, to an extent, bitter. Each has a motive to kill, but it is the journey of getting to know each of the characters and laughing at their qualities that makes Knives Out as fun as it is.

The stellar cast give their all when bringing these highly entertaining characters to life. Again, the film is very much like an Agatha Christie novel with Daniel Craig leading as the famous Benoit Blanc. He is indeed entertaining and full of life, but it is Ana de Armas as Marta who the film revolves around and she is such a gentle and endearing leading lady. She immediately earns the audience's love and respect, which is consistent throughout the film. Chris Evans gives new life to the stereotypical spoilt rich kid-adult as Ransom and, like any narcissistic character wishes to do, is the star of every scene he is in with his impeccable timing and enduring sarcasm. He is a fantastic presence in the film and undoubtedly an audience favourite. Michael Shannon, Jaime Lee Curtis and Toni Colette are all also extraordinary characters, who unfortunately don't receive as much screen time as the previously mentioned.

Knives Out brings back the lost art of making the murder mystery fun. With it's individual form of black comedy and host of brilliant characters, it is a film that transports you into a wild world of family turmoil that has never been so enjoyable.

8.5/10

Inferno (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 121 minutes
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Dan Brown (based on the novel by), David Koepp (screenplay)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Ben Foster, Irrfan Khan, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Omar Sy, Ana Ularu

Inferno is now showing and is distributed in Australia by Sony Pictures.

Dan Brown's fast-paced suspense novels that typically tread a fine line between fact and fiction almost beg to be adapted into screenplays. So why aren't they working so well on the big screen when they are so popular among readers?

Inferno is just fine. Like the book of the same name, it follows the same pattern of those which have come before it...with a few minor differences. Robert Langdon (portrayed once again by Tom Hanks), the Professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology at Harvard University who has such a strong pull to dangerous situations, wakes up in a Florence hospital recovering from a gunshot wound with no recollection of how he arrived there or in the city. With the help of Dr Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), Langdon attempts to solve the puzzle set out for him which heavily involves Dante's "Inferno", as well as trying to understand why his life is in danger thanks to those who are following his every footstep.

For The Da Vinci Code in 2006, the order of the day was over-expectation considering how astronomically successful the book was. Despite the film not being well-received by critics, it performed very well at the box office as all those who read the Dan Brown book flocked to see Ron Howard bring it to life. Much the same occurred with Angels and Demons in 2009, so why not bring Brown's sixth novel, Inferno to the screen?

Inferno is high paced and entertaining for the most part and intriguing enough to keep your attention for it's entirety. However, as stated before, the small details are not enough to make the film feel original by any means. Any reader of the Brown books and those who have seen both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, it is inevitable that there will be at least four twists in the story and these twists may be predictable in their occurrence, but the good news is they are still unforeseeable in nature.

And of course, there's a whole lot of facts about historic places and artefacts thrown in there as the books can often feel as though they are a regurgitation of a "Did you know?" history book. However, this is one of the reasons why people still do flock to see these films as it is like having a guided tour of such locations....with the tour guides constantly running from the bad guys. Florence and Venice are on show in exquisite fashion. If you are planning a holiday to these cities, than Inferno may work as a great tool for what to see with a whole set of trivia attached to it (as what The Da Vinci Code did for Paris and Angels and Demons for Rome). There are some truly beautiful landscape shots, but the depiction of Dante's "Inferno" on Earth is downright terrifying.

Tom Hanks is solid in his third outing as Robert Langdon. He gives a flawless performance of the character of Robert Langdon, which he has moulded to be his own over the past three films. Felicity Jones has bee given the job of portraying a character who is not particularly interesting until the last third of the film and as would be assumed, her performance hits it's stride at this time. One of the best things about Inferno is it's depiction of the "bad guys". The film correctly shows that most of the time in real life, the people who are perceived as being the enemies always believe that they are the good guys and are doing the right thing, as is shown here.

Inferno is entertaining, but is just another film in the now tired series of Dan Brown adaptations.

6.5/10

The Girl on the Train (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 112 minutes
Director: Tate Taylor
Writers: Paula Hawkins (based on the novel by), Erin Cressida Wilson (screenplay)
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Allison Janney, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Prepon

The Girl on the Train is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed by Entertainment One in Australia.

One has to feel sorry for The Girl on the Train.

When the novel by Paula Hawkins was released in early 2015, it instantly drew comparisons to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl" with it's similar themes and suspenseful nature. It was only ineviatble that the film directed by Tate Taylor would also be compared to the film version of Gone Girl, which was directed by David Fincher. While this comparison is harsh to have to contend with, The Girl on the Train also faces the comparison that could never have been avoided which is the eternal question of whether the movie is as good as the book.

It feels as though The Girl on the Train was never destined to be it's own film as the filmmakers obviously knew the pressures they were going to be unable to avoid. As a result, it evidently struggles with it's own identity and caves under the pressure in several areas, but excels itself in others.

The girl on the train is Rachel (Emily Blunt), a woman who has turned to alcoholism after several bad turns in her life including having her husband, Tom (Justin Theroux) leave her for another woman, Anna (Rebecca Ferguson) whom he is now married to with a small child. Rachel travels by her old house each day and see's an idyllic couple a few doors up who she likes to believe are living the life she misses so greatly. However, one day she witnesses something in this perfect house that makes her fall apart and plummet into an alcohol-induced black spot which she can only remember fragments of. It is only when she hears that Megan Hipwell (Haley Bennett) has disappeared that she starts to become paranoid that she is the one behind her disappearance.

Although there are several notable differences from the book that impact the film's depth, The Girl on the Train carries with it the same atmosphere and suspense which made the novel so popular. The story is in itself unsettling with characters that are intriguing, but are all quite unlikable. All the people in the film (except Lisa Kudrow's Monica who was invented for the film) are extremely flawed human beings to the point that they all feel dirty to watch. Emily Blunt's Rachel is one that is particularly hard to watch, just as she was to read in the book. This is a woman in so deep that she cannot pull herself, only dig herself in deeper. Of course, this terrible character trait is what moves the story along and is ultimately justified despite being so frustrating. A film does not need to have likable characters in order to work and although all the cast give splendid performances, there is no connection between the viewer and the characters because one does not want to feel connected to people like this.

However, unless you have read the book, Taylor's film does carry a real sense of suspense and unpredictability that make it impossible to look away. The reason The Girl on the Train is so often compared to Gone Girl is because they both have the resounding theme of how well do we really know the ones closest to us. Paula Hawkins book delves into this in greater detail than the film. As the book was written in the first person by all three of the main female characters in rotating order, the film struggles to adapt to this and fit it into it's nearly two hour running time. Rebecca Ferguson's Anna is particularly hard done by as her character is sliced of all her gritty inner thoughts and true character development.

One of the resounding questions posed by anyone who had read the book beforehand is how Emily Blunt could have possibly been cast as Rachel? In the novel, Rachel is referred to numerous times as being unattractive, overweight and repulsive..... a description that does not suit the genetically blessed Blunt. The make-up department certainly tries their hardest to make her less attractive, but the way Blunt disappears into her role makes one forget about her outward appearance. Her performance is of the incredibly unstable Rachel is just superb and shows a great deal of variety within her screen time. The bathroom mirror scene is particularly memorable for how terrifying she suddenly becomes.

Haley Bennet is also wonderful as Megan. Her character and performance seem one-dimensional for the majority of the film until towards the end when she has the opportunity to show how much talent she truly has and rises to the occasion. Rebecca Ferguson does what she can with her role, but again, she is denied the depth Rachel and Megan are given. Luke Evans shines as the grieving husband, Scott and it is unfortunate he didn't have more screen time. Justin Theroux does fine as Tom, but his is the only performance in the film that feels a little too restrained, particularly as it heads into the final quarter.

The Girl on the Train cannot help but be compared to the novel in which it is based on by those who had read it, which in this case is not a good thing. The film has a dark and grimy atmosphere with a screenplay that evidently struggles to be all it wants to be. Yet, the cast (particularly Emily Blunt and Haley Bennett) breath life into the film and save it from being merely a failed adaptation.

6.5/10

Everest (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 121 minutes
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Writers: Simon Beaufoy and William Nicholson
Cast: Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, John Hawkes, Michael Kelly, Robin Wright, Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Debicki, Martin Henderson

Everest opens in Australian cinemas on September 17 and is distributed by Universal Pictures. Opens in the United States on September 24 and the United Kingdom September 18.

Everest is an incredibly tense and brutally honest film based on horrifying true events that took place at one of the world's most dangerous and beautiful locations, which does not disappoint on any level. The world's highest peak, Mount Everest has always been the source of fascination and wonder for mankind and to many it has also symbolised achievement. The chance for adventure seekers all around the world to summit Everest has grown to be a highly marketable business and in May 1996, the mountain's base camp was at capacity with five teams set to summit on the 10th. The mountain proved too much for many of the climbers to make it to the top, but just after many of the participants did summit a dangerous blizzard hit the area. What resulted was the darkest day in Everest's history to date.

Based on the memoirs and accounts of the survivors of the tragedy, Everest has a magnificent way of telling a story whilst building and maintaining tension. Films based on true events tend to have a challenge developing a level of suspense when their audience is aware of the incident and it's outcome. Everest avoids this stigma as the events which took place in May 1996 occurred in one of the world's most dangerous places and allow the dramatic story to have an action/adventure edge to it which heightens the opportunity for suspense. Much of the tension also comes from the fact that this film is based on true events so taps into people's worst fears.

Everest does not attempt to sugar coat the experience of climbing the world's highest mountain. The attempt to summit does not only involve a physical strain on the body due to the climbing itself, but also the hazards involved with the body at high altitudes. There are some rather confronting scenes which involve how the body was not meant to withstand the altitude at which Mount Everest stands. The screenplay gives one the understanding of why people choose to climb the mountain, but also why others would never attempt it. The majority of the screenplay is aligned with fact and stays true to the accounts of those involved who survived. However, there are several scenes involving those who didn't survive which are obviously fictionalized and imagined for dramatic effect as there is no way one could know exactly how these certain instances took place.

While Everest is considered one of the most dangerous places on Earth, it is also one of the most stunning which is a major reason why it is a another major draw for adventure seekers. The mountain and it's section of the Himalayas in Nepal is captured to perfection on camera in Everest. The aesthetics of the film allow one to feel as though they are on the mountain themselves feeling the extreme cold, but also marvelling at it's beauty. The cinematography by Salvatore Totino is exquisite and the editing by Mick Audsley fantastic.

The multi-protagonist nature of the film allows for well-rounded characters to be developed and wonderful performances to be created. It is with the attention paid to each of the characters and their motives that allow one the understand the fascination of Mount Everest before judging people for putting their lives in danger. Jason Clarke give a solid and convincing performance as Rob Hall, the leader of the Adventure Consultants expedition team. While Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the quirky guide for the Mountain Madness crew Scott Fischer, is fine, but it feels as though his character wasn't given a great deal to work with. Josh Brolin gives perhaps the strongest performance of the climbers on the mountain as Beck Weathers. His character develops throughout the film from a cocky adrenalin seeker to being vulnerable under the power of the mountain. As Rob Hall's wife, Jan, Keira Knightley is also very good and makes the most of her limited screen time as her character waits at home for her beloved husband to return.

Everest is a particularly strong hybrid of drama and adventure that avoids the general pitfalls of films based on real life events. It's suspenseful and terrifying nature is met with breathtakingly beautiful images and allows for an experience that is devastating, but intriguing.

8/10

Interstellar (2014) film review

Year: 2014
Running Time: 169 minutes
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Mackenzie Foy, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace

Interstellar opens in Australian cinemas on 6 November and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Opening in the United States and United Kingdom on 7 November.

Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated Interstellar is an incredible thought-provoking, visual event that simultaneously examines the scientific complexity of time relativity in space travel and the emotional depth and strength held by those directly impacted. The film is a visual masterpiece with incredible sound editing and score that support a highly intelligent screenplay that is particularly Nolan-esque. The impressive cast led by Matthew McConaughey give Interstellar the emotional backbone which allows this film to project itself into a class above other sci-fi and futuristic films.

In the future, the human race has come full circle and once again places its importance on what the land can give us rather than on technological advances, but even the land is turning on the human race. It's a world that doesn't sit well with father of two, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), who wants to be out exploring the world and it's skies. His chance comes when he and his daughter, Murphy (Mackenzie Foy) stumble upon NASA's secret headquarters and learn that they have discovered a wormhole near Saturn that leads to another galaxy where there could be another planet suitable for human life. Leaving behind a distraught and angry Murphy, Cooper sets out on the Endurance to search this galaxy for a new home for the human race while fighting against time and the dangers that space and these new worlds present.

Although Interstellar is reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and last year's Gravity for the obvious reasons, it is unique for what it brings to the group which the two mentioned films belong to. It is certainly a complex scientific film which must be applauded for it's intelligence and the originality of the journey which it's characters embark on. The real enemy of the film is time as the time in space and in distant galaxies can differ greatly from time on Earth. It is an intriguing concept, but also a very frightening one when it is realised how much is missed on Earth after so little time has passed in space.

This is where the emotional core of the film comes from. The characters come to realise that love transcends time and they all fight against time for those they love. While Interstellar is thought-provoking on a scientific level, it is also so on this emotional level. The idea of leaving ones family without the knowledge of whether or not they will return and not knowing whether they will be able to contact them is both unsettling and disturbing as it connects with the audience on such a personal level. It also prompts the audience into wondering what they would do in Cooper's situation. If you had the chance to find a way to save your family but there was no guarantee of ever seeing or hearing from them again, would you do it? When the question is asked, the answer would most probably be yes, but in Interstellar we see how much agony it would be to feel the separation.

At nearly three hours long, Interstellar does well to maintain tension and remain intriguing for this amount of time, yet at times the length is felt. Nolan has really attempted to pack as much action, emotion and information into the film as he possibly can and while this is admirable, there is still the feeling that things are missing as a result of other things being included. At such a running time, it is obvious that Nolan could not include any more in than he already had so there are some holes in the story as a result and hard facts are missing as to how and why things are this way on Earth. There are tinges of disbelief throughout the film and the notion that things may be getting a little too far-fetched, but Interstellar is not a prediction of what is to become of the human race as much as it is a piece of entertainment about the future of the human race.

Interstellar is just brilliant in it's production. Christopher Nolan shot the film using 15/70mm IMAX cameras so it is intended to be watched on such a screen and this is definitely how one will get the most out of the film. Like the film itself, many of the frames are quite complex in an interesting and positive way as there is so much to take in. While there are some glorious landscape shots, it is the CGI employed for the scenes in space which are truly memorable and exquisite. It is a gentle reminder of how beautiful the galaxy is while dangerous. The score by Hans Zimmer is also perfection and adds to the suspense of the film brilliantly. However, some may find the film a little overpowering in it's volume and high speed and erratic camera movements in it's action sequences.

Matthew McConaughey is truly wonderful as Cooper and has an incredible presence on screen. The audience takes to his character in a way which they feel a real emotional connection to him and they care a great deal about what happens to Cooper during the film. While he is a tower of strength for the majority of the film, it is in the moments which the character is at his most vulnerable that are the strongest for McConaughey. It is truly devastating and haunting watching Cooper leave his children and then receiving messages from them while on aboard.

Anne Hathaway does very well as Amelia Brand and her character continually grows on the audience throughout the film. Jessica Chastain is also very good as the adult Murphy, yet Mackenzie Foy who plays the younger version of her character gives an extremely powerful performance for such a young age. Foy and McConaughey work incredibly well as the father and daughter team and one feels the tragedy on a personal level of these two being separated.

Interstellar is a cinematic event that encourages it's audience to use their heart and mind when watching. Although not perfect on every level, it is memorable for the things it does to perfection.

8/10

Junction (2012)

Year: 2012
Running Time: 91 minutes
Director: Tony Glazer
Writer: Tony Glazer
Cast: David Zayas, Michael O'Keefe, Anthony Rapp, Anthony Ruivivar, Neal Bedlsoe, Summer Crockett Moore, Tom Pelphrey, Harris Doran

Junction is one incredibly tense ride that makes you question where to draw the line with personal responsibility. It is the type of psychological thriller that plays high intensity mind games with you, but separates itself from other streamlined thriller films by venturing into the often taboo area of meth addiction. Tony Glazer has done a superb job at constructing an incredibly tense film which addresses more than one problem in todays society and making us question what we would do in such a situation.

Four strung-out meth addicts, David (Tom Pelphrey), Kari (Summer Crockett Moore), Donald (Neal Bedlsoe) and Spot (Harris Doran) are under the instruction of Tai (Anthony Ruivivar) to obtain a television in exchange for what they want. The four break into a house who's residents have just moved into in order to steal their flat screen television, but make a horrifying discovery in the process. While their minds are clouded by addiction, they all must make the decision to either walk away or take matters into their own hands.

Junction is an extremely unique psychological thriller. While the idea of ordinary citizens facing ethical dilemmas involving crime may not be a new one, the idea of an existing addiction illness playing part in this dilemma is unique. Everything is heightened within the film because of the main characters inability to stay calm in the situation as a result of their illness and this proves to be a dangerous combination in the situation. Their perception of reality is clouded over and their ability to remain calm in such a situation and not over react is almost non-existent. It is a scary look at meth addiction, but also works as a way to make the film even more intense than it would have been without it.

The film challenges you to put yourself in the shoes of the characters as they sit upstairs in the attic when they make their discovery. The obvious answer would be if you saw someone doing something like in the film you would absolutely go to the authorities, but what if you were already doing the wrong thing and to report it meant you were putting yourself up for arrest? It's an interesting thing to ponder, but then you always have to remember that most of the characters are not thinking in rational terms to begin with. The ending may be slightly predictable, but it is forgiven as, as any motivational quote will tell you, it is the journey that matters. Junction is also visually intense. It may not show the act which is so often discussed, but it is quite graphic and violent during the hostage scenes.

There is some wonderful acting here in Junction. All for of the main stars do a great job portraying people with a terrible addiction who are placed in a situation none of them is equipped to handle. Having to deal with confronting subjects like the ones here is a gruelling and emotional task and all do very well here in portraying people directly affected. Neal Bedsloe and Harris Doran are particularly good as Donald and Spot. These are the two who lose control the most in the film and they are so believable and the two of them are really quite terrifying in their characters. Little Danielle Kotch who plays Mia, the young girl at the centre of it all is one to keep an eye on as she has a big future ahead of her.

Junction makes you question where your responsibility as a citizen begins and ends and how far you will go for that responsibility. Highly addictive viewing.

8/10

Captain Phillips (2013)

Year: 2013
Running Time: 134 minutes
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writers: Billy Ray (screenplay), Richard Phillips and Stephan Talty (book)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali

Captain Phillips is to be released in Australia on the 24th October 2013 and is distributed by Sony Pictures. Now showing in the USA and UK.

Captain Phillips is a high paced, suspenseful film based on the true story of sea captain, Richard Phillips.

Being a true story, Paul Greengrass' latest film does what many suspense films fail to do and that is remain realistic while maintaining tension. It is also an incredible thing for a film to remain so suspenseful while being a true story, as being a true story will often mean that people know  how it will end. Although Captain Phillips is not a film without flaws, it is remembered far more for what it does right rather than what it does wrong.

In April 2009, an American cargo ship was making it's way along the Somali coast to Kenya at a time when there was an increasing number of pirate attacks. The Maersk Alabama is targeted by a group of Somali pirates as it is not travelling with a herd of other ships and therefore makes an easier target. Four pirates hijack the ship taking crew members hostage, among them being the ship's captain, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks). While protecting his crew, Phillips risks all to make sure his men and his ship remain safe.

Captain Phillips does not for one moment feel like it is it's 134 minutes long. There is never a dull moment throughout the film and it constantly flows at a steady pace. Nothing is included in the film that doesn't need to be there as a result of a very clean cut screenplay and skilful editing. When the Maersk Alabama was hijacked now over four years ago, it was a huge event as no American cargo ship had been hijacked in 200 years. Therefore, the story of Captain Phillips and his crew is quite a well known one. It is not an easy thing to do to make a film out of a true story and generate suspense equivalent to what the audience would feel if they didn't know the outcome. By being a true story it does also avoid the pitfalls that many suspense films fall into, which is that of coming close to the end so many times that it loses it's realism. Although the story's credibility has recently come into question as a result of differing stories from the actual crew of the Maersk, Captain Phillips does not feel as though it is trying too hard to build tension and does do naturally.

Visually, Captain Phillips is quite well done. People who suffer from seasickness will not be bothered by the film, as there are far more things to worry about than the state of the water. There are some scenes in which you feel you are in the lifeboat, but there isn't the effect of feeling as though you are on the choppy sea. Some camera movements are a little too quick to be able to allow you to focus, but this doesn't do too much in taking away from the situation at hand.

The film is very much a one man film. There is really no time taken to get to know any of the other characters in the film besides Captain Phillips. This isn't really a major problem, but it does mean that the film lends itself to a type of Hollywood heroism in which they are trying to go above and beyond in glorifying the main characters. Based on many recent articles regarding the inaccuracies of the film in regards to Captain Phillips himself and his behaviour, it would seem as though there has been an attempt to make Phillips out to be more heroic than he actually was in the circumstances for the sake of a film. We gain tiny glimpses into the lead pirate, Muse's life and personality, but it feels as though we still don't really know as much about him as we should by the end of the film.

As it is a one man film, Tom Hanks has a big task in holding his own throughout the film. He does so brilliantly. He does have the air of being slightly arrogant and distant from his crew, but he is a very strong character. His best acting of the film is absolutely in the last 20 minutes when all his walls come down, but no one can deny that Hanks gives a solid performance throughout the film. He's beginning scenes with Catherine Keener, who plays his wife Andrea, are particularly enjoyable as they show the human side of his character away from the ship. Barkhad Abdi, who plays Muse, also is commendable, as is Barkhad Abdirahman who plays Bilal.

Captain Phillips is a suspenseful survival film which keeps you constantly wondering how things will eventually pan out, whether you know the answers or not. Tom Hanks' powerhouse performance is one of the must sees of the year.

8/10